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Imperial Titan
Imperial Titans are amongst the largest weapons of war which the Imperium of Man of the 41st millennia have at their disposal for land-based operations. They feature in many of their novels, and can also be found in their Warhammer 40,000 and Epic series of tabletop wargames. Overview Initially developed many thousands of years ago when they were built by the hundreds, the construction of an Imperial Titan is now a secret closely guarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the order of techno-priests who are responsible for the manufacture of most of the Imperium’s most potent weapons of war. They are operated by a sub-division of the Mechanicus known as the Collegia Titanica, which is in turn divided into Orders known as Legions which each operate from a specific Mechanicus Forge World. Whilst there exist several different forms of Titan, the trait common to all types is that they require human operators to function. Whilst this may sound self-evident, the fact of the matter is that not just any individual can operate a Titan. Those who pilot these colossal war machines and control their devastating weaponry are known as either Princeps (the primary pilot, and overall commander of the Titan) or Moderati (those who perform individual functions, such as the actual locomotion of the Titan, the management of its integrated self-repair mechanisms, or the coordination of one of its offensive systems). These individuals are trained from an early age in various forms of mental discipline, as the operation of a Titan requires a human interface with the machine through a Mind Impulse Unit, or MIU. Mind Impulse Units provide the user with a direct interface to the Titan’s ‘''Machine Spirit'',’ an entity which has been variously described as either an artificial intelligence, a highly advanced series of digitised codes, or even an actual living, sentient creature in its own right. Which of these is true may never be known, and may even vary from Titan to Titan. What is known, is that these MIUs allow a sufficiently disciplined user to exert his will over that of the Titan which, as a weapon of war, is formidable. For example, whilst a Moderati may simply wish the Titan to move from one area to another, the Titan’s natural aggressiveness and desire to fulfill its purpose may cause it to attempt another course of action, and as such its operators must be ever vigilant, lest it accidentally gain control and vaporise a nearby factory in its enthusiasm. The older a Titan is, the more cantankerous it’s Machine Spirit becomes, and the harder it is to control. Titan Legions As stated previously, Titans are organised into units known as Legions. Each of these Legions is based on one of the Adeptus Mechanicus’ vast factory-planets known as Forge Worlds. These Legions typically comprise a handful of Scout-Class Titans and several Battle Titans. Particularly old or renowned Titan Legions may even possess one or two Emperor-Class Titans, although these machines are exceedingly rare in the modern age. Whilst the Legion is based upon a Forge World, it is common that portions of the Legion known as Battle Groups will be deployed on campaign elsewhere in the galaxy, although a Forge World will only send its entire legion off-world to combat the most dire threats; this is an uncommon case indeed. Classes Whilst there exist many different patterns of Titan, most are vaguely humanoid in design, and can be divided into one of three groups, Scout, Battle and Emperor, and although the specifics of each type of class may vary slightly, the overall design of each remains broadly similar. In addition, whilst most Titans of a particular class are broadly similar in layout, their weapon hardpoints are usually modular in design, allowing a great deal of customisation for specific battlefield roles. In addition, all Titans possess a form of power field known as Void Shielding. These fields are able to absorb a considerable amount of punishment before their generators overload, providing even more protection to an already difficult-to-destroy machine. Warhound-Class Scout Titan The smallest of the Titans in a legion standing only around 30-40 feet tall, Warhounds are possessed of a hunched body with digitigrade legs and a cockpit whose design resembles that of an enormous canid. They are extremely fast machines, and sport a pair of hardpoints on their arms. Because of their smaller size and subsequently lower-output reactor however, Warhounds are only able to mount the lighter forms of Titan weaponry: whilst they are more than capable of annihilating squadrons of battle tanks, this makes them unsuited to engaging larger Titans, and as such are usually relegated to the role of flankers or heavy scouts. Reaver-Class Medium Titan Whilst designated as a Medium Titan, the Reavers are Battle Titans in all but name. Standing in excess of fifty feet tall, they posssess a pair of hardpoints on their arms, along with a third on top of their carapace. Reavers form the bulk of those Titan Legions who are based on smaller or newer Forge Worlds, although the weaponry they can bring to bear is formidable to say the least. The Reaver Class possesses one weakness however: whilst other Titans’ plasma core is mounted in a central location with well distributed armour plating, the Reavers core is mounted at the back of the Titans body, making them vulnerable to units which manage to outflank them and target their relatively-unprotected rear. Warlord-Class Battle Titans The most common variant of Titan, the Warlords are the true workhorse of most Legions, standing around seventy-five feet tall and possessed of armour virtually impregnable to all but the most powerful of weapons. They feature a pair of arm-mounted hardpoints, another pair atop their carapaces, and can also be outfitted with two heavy but short-ranged laser cannon to the rear of their shell, a feature which is primarily used to discourage boarders when fighting in built-up areas such as cities or industrial regions. Due to their abundance of weapons options and their ready availability in comparison to other classes of Titan, the Warlords are the most versatile class available to the Imperium. For example, if no Warhounds are available, then they may simply be fitted with one or two light weapons and employed as fast scouts, or loaded up with the maximum number of the heaviest weapons available and deployed as semi-mobile firebases. Emperor-Class Titans The largest pieces of military hardware which the Imperium is capable of deploying on a planet, Emperor-Class Titans can stand as tall as four hundred feet. More like walking fortresses than actual weapons, a single Emperor Titan carries enough firepower to combat a smaller Titan Legion single-handed. It’s legs function much like defensive fortifications, studded with automated gun turrets and filled with companies of infantry to deter boarding actions, whilst it mounts a pair of enormous hardpoints on its arms which are capable of being fitted with weapons too large for any other class of Titan. The upper portion of an Emperor more closely resembles a cathedral than any weapon of war, and is usually fitted out with a whole battalion’s worth of artillery with which to support any ground troops in the vicinity. This structure is also capable of housing infantry, usually equipped with heavy weapons with which to rain down even more destruction on any opponent unfortunate to be facing one of these technological monstrosities. The deployment of Emperor-Class Titans is a very rare thing indeed, as not only is their sheer power often seen as uneccessary overkill, but the actual logistics of getting one onto the field of battle is a commander’s worst nightmare. In addition, the loss of one of these machines, however unlikely, is seen by the Adeptus Mechanicus as a tragedy of the highest order, as the many thousands of years of experience in warfare which it’s Machine Spirit has gained can never be recovered. Category:War Machines Category:Warhammer 40,000 Category:Mecha Category:Artificial Intelligence